First PLA made ego-shooter

[Hongjian]

It seems that the PLA is developing their own game now... Maybe as an reaction to OF:DR and RR?
Or even as a wink to the faithful chinese modders here, who bring us their awesome work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOu4e8luF8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLY7GyxDmR4&feature=related


http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=4abfd4700e9ef210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News


PLA's video game to teach communist values
Stephen Chen
May 14, 2011

An Apache attack helicopter hovers above palm trees in a tropical forest as a surface-to-air missile blasts off from the shoulder of crouching solider. The missile draws a graceful curve in the air and hits the engine, bringing the chopper down.

The soldier is wearing a People's Liberation Army uniform and it's a scene from Mission of Honour, a first-person-shooter video game developed by the army and a commercial game studio for more than two years.

The scene from the game, just completed and soon to be played by PLA soldiers in barracks across the country, was aired by China Central Television on Thursday.

According to details of the game's development released by the PLA Daily newspaper yesterday, Mission of Honour's purpose is to improve modern warfare skills, to experiment with new assault tactics, to boost the morale of computer-savvy young soldiers and to avoid copyright disputes.

There are also political and ideological factors at play. The PLA has been using foreign games, but the PLA's "values and military ideology" are very different, the daily said.

"Using these [foreign] games for the long term is not beneficial to the training of the army and it may even mislead soldiers," it said.

The PLA, with a new generation of recruits, has been looking for ways to improve "political education", especially as many of the new recruits are better educated than earlier generations of soldiers.

Modernising the army for warfare in the digital age is also on the agenda for the 2.3 million-strong force.

Countries such as the United States have long used commercial PC games in military training. The US Army, for instance, invested US$50 million in 2008 on games and gaming systems designed to prepare soldiers for combat, according to Stars and Stripes, a news outlet authorised by the US Department of Defence.

Mission of Honour has been jointly developed by the Nanjing Military Region and an IT company called Wuxi Giant Network Technology, a Shanghai subsidiary of US-listed Giant Interactive Group, the PLA Daily said. The company could not be reached for comment yesterday.

First-person-shooter games put the player behind the gun and project a virtual world on screen. The player can command the character to jump, run or shoot, and if linked to a network, he or she can interact with other players. It's designed for leisure use in barracks, but also has ideological and military training purposes.

The PLA Daily report said Mission of Honour had three gaming modes - training mode, offline mission mode and online combat mode.

The training mode sets Mission of Honour apart from similar PC games. It not only teaches players how to play the game, but also guides them through propaganda material on issues such as Communist ideology and military history.

"The game will influence soldiers at a subconscious level and help them to have a deep understanding about the substance and the essence of the core values of contemporary revolutionary soldiers," PLA Daily said. "It will also create good political character, fighting spirit and improve their psychological qualities."

The game would be particularly attractive and persuasive for young soldiers who were used to playing PC games for entertainment, it said.

A previous report by the newspaper said that one of the foreign games that the PLA had been using in military training since 2006 was Counter-Strike, a popular first-person shooter developed by the US studio Valve.

The report also highlighted that the PLA held intellectual property rights to the new game.

Beijing-based retired PLA Major General, Xu Guangyu , said that the introduction of PC games to the PLA's military training had obvious benefits, but also side effects that could not be overlooked.

"Combat simulation on computers will help our soldiers get used to the highly sophisticated equipment in modern warfare, improve the efficiency of digital communication among officers and soldiers and cut training costs significantly," Xu said.

"But over-using computers will also make our soldiers rely too much on technology and hardware. Games can make soldiers lonely, physically weak or even disillusioned."

The PLA Daily said the designers of the game would add elements involving different military services.



and another article:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-05/13/content_12507242.htm

The gameplay looks pretty much like COD:MW instead of ArmA. But it seems to involve combined arms operations including driving tanks and vehicles... Anyway. It looks better than what CM churned out in the recent years.

[Celery]

Who are the enemies?

[JW Custom]

The gameplay looks pretty much like COD:MW...

I was more at COD2.

[Daniel]

Anyway. It looks better than what CM churned out in the recent years.
Absolutely, looks really cool actually! D-Day style mission too, Taiwanese invasion? Ha, it's certainly no VBS2!

[Hongjian]

Absolutely, looks really cool actually! D-Day style mission too, Taiwanese invasion?

Looks like the invasion of Okinawa or Guam.. :p

[Beagle]

Who are the enemies?The USA obviously...just look at the AH-64 beeing shot down.

[Hongjian]

The USA obviously...just look at the AH-64 beeing shot down.

...which is pretty astonishing, considering that the Chinese govt. censored and banned even BF2, C&C Generals etc. for featuring the PLA fighting against a clear foreign country. Open showing of these antagonism is banned by the Communist Party, since they wish to propagade their 'Harmonious World' and 'Peaceful Rise' narrative for years.

But it seems that the armed forces arent giving a damn about the official policy... :butbut:

EDIT: The CCP also censored chinese modders for OFP back then in 2005 for making the China vs. Japan mod, since they wanted to ban militant nationalism that could get out of control. But the PLA itself seems to be pretty much independent from the party.

[Daniel]

The USA obviously...just look at the AH-64 beeing shot down.
Not necessarily, Singapore and Japan fly them too. It's more likely to be a fictional enemy.

[Beagle]

Not necessarily, Singapore and Japan fly them too. It's more likely to be a fictional enemy.US made games depict the PLA as enemy so I guess they just strike back.

[Hongjian]

The PLA Daily said the designers of the game would add elements involving different military services.

This quote is what makes me hope.

for now, it looks like a greater scaled COD series game.
But if the devs would include more military services, like airforce and navy, it may become a "ArmA-light" or at least a vastly better OFDR in the final version...

well, one can hope.

[colossus]

Meh, why not? It seems only fair to get "their side of the story" for a change. There doesn't seem to exist alot of games focused on the OPFOR's* perspective in this world.
However, it doesn't look like much of a training game, but more equivalent to America's Army.

*(OPFOR from a western perspective)



PS: Hm.. Not sure armed troops jumping out of an ambulance is the smartest PR move though (vid #2, 0:20).

[Hongjian]

This is indeed a multiplayer game with 36 person PvP modes.

One would be able to play as US-forces too.

[DaMan3]

Bet that the M16 is going to jam every 5 seconds and take 20 shots to kill anyone.

I mean, after all its reflecting the "reality"

[Darkhorse 1-6]

Part of me thinks we will see Fromz's models in this "game". If so, and if they ever release a public version, I think a boycott would be in order...

[Beagle]

Part of me thinks we will see Fromz's models in this "game". If so, and if they ever release a public version, I think a boycott would be in order...You can boycot what you want since this is obviously not going to be a comercial release. 20% of World population is chinese already, they won't bother about your boycot in any way. The future of the planet is chinese.

[Hongjian]

Part of me thinks we will see Fromz's models in this "game". If so, and if they ever release a public version, I think a boycott would be in order...

cant confirm, but in the chinavme forum, Alex.XP talks about having been involved in the project during the development. which would make sense, since he is a PLA soldier.
I wouldnt be surprised if we found quite a bit OH/VME models or general ArmA2 ideas in this game...

http://www.chinavme.com/forum-redirect-tid-18126-goto-lastpost.html#lastpost

[maturin]

The future of the planet is chinese.

Meh, their population levels off by 2050, by which point Latin American and parts of Africa should be really taking off even if China is a superpower.

[Beagle]

Meh, their population levels off by 2050, by which point Latin American and parts of Africa should be really taking off even if China is a superpower.Just having lots of people at the egde of starvation does not make a superpower (Africa). That's exactly what China has gotten over with since the 60's.

On the other hand the population in europe is reduced drastically in 2050germany taking the most of this reduction...the best thing that could happen here. Currently birth rate per woman in German is 1.3 while yearly population reduction is 3,4%.

Thats why our unemployment rate is so low nowadays and why rent rates are so low.

btw. 2011-2050 is already future, no nation is on top forever..just ask the Greeks, Egypts or Italians. Decadence of society brings all empires down sooner or later.

[maturin]

Just having lots of people at the egde of starvation does not make a superpower (Africa). That's exactly what China has gotten over with since the 60's.

Africa isn't on the verge on starvation. A third of the continent is middle class. All the countries no has heard of (because there haven't been enough civil wars) are going to take off sooner or later.

China was doing a lot worse than that forty years ago.

Europe's low demographic pressures make it the best place to live, but it also means that it doesn't have much of an economic future. Russia has the same problem. Dirty, nasty capitalism that leaves millions behind and comes back later to sort things out, that's what makes superpowers. It's what China is doing, with two types of citizens. They've got Urban or Rural right on their ID cards, and can be illegal immigrants in their own country.

[[APS]Gnat]

However, it doesn't look like much of a training game, but more equivalent to America's Army.

Agree. With that sort of game-play, more an anti-training tool. Soldiers could loose skills and get a "gamer" addiction ;)

And guys. THIS ISN'T A CHINA - WORLD POLITICS THREAD ..... take it elsewhere.

[Hongjian]

It was stated that this game is for recreation and leisure only and not as training tool for the PLA.

So, yeah. It is more army propaganda like America's Army, but more aimed at the already enlisted servicemen to make them play something homegrown instead of always foreign games.

[NodUnit]

Technicly any war game can be seen as propaganda, what I saw though didn't seem like propaganda, for that I'd expect to see amassing chinese numbers, destroying NATO equipment with little trouble and what have you.

In truth if this does get released I would be interested in playing it just to play a combat perspective from someone other than NATO. If it is EGO then likely the opposing force would be the USA since the entities are already there.

I'm curious if this will be released in the US and if it will be marketted at all, the 'only' reason MOH was baned from some stores is due to the recent US vs Taliban, but technicly we aren't at physical war with the Chinese.

I don't think it would be Japan, that might be a bit too...controversal.

[Beagle]

Technicly any war game can be seen as propaganda, what I saw though didn't seem like propaganda, for that I'd expect to see amassing chinese numbers, destroying NATO equipment with little trouble and what have you.

In truth if this does get released I would be interested in playing it just to play a combat perspective from someone other than NATO. If it is EGO then likely the opposing force would be the USA since the entities are already there.

I'm curious if this will be released in the US and if it will be marketted at all, the 'only' reason MOH was baned from some stores is due to the recent US vs Taliban, but technicly we aren't at physical war with the Chinese.

I don't think it would be Japan, that might be a bit too...controversal.It is no commercial release... it if from the PLA for the PLA.

[NodUnit]

Aw, well there goes the hopes for something differnet.

[GossamerSolid]

I kinda wanted to try it lol, just to see these types of video games from the other country's prospective.

[RangerPL]

Definitely won't be about China vs Japan, that would be like a Polish game studio making a game about a Polish invasion of Germany.

[4 IN 1]

Remember: everything "offical supported" things made in china is a joke.:D

[larsiano]

Look like crap to me, like a bad example of an openGL game like world of tanks (just an opinion) good example would be QuakeIIIArena. Why dont they use real PC's btw, dont they know they are faster and have a better screen and are cheaper? Maybe they should have a look at a real milsim... called Arma2 :butbut:

[heroes maker]

ah finally, a game where i can play something else than USA ( seriously, this is boring ), if this come out i'll try to found it and play it ... wait what ?


It is no commercial release... it if from the PLA for the PLA.

f-ck this sh-t up, i hate you

[Hongjian]

It will definitely be commercially released in the future. Maybe with a downtuned version (political content).

And knowing China, this game might already be pirated by some teenage army hacker and uploaded on baidu torrent search etc.

Also, the articles say that 'the PLA soldiers will be able to play this in near future'... so the game is still beta I would say.

[RobertHammer]

lol thats PLA version of MW2 - that engine and animations are from MW2 game heh

[Zipper5]

Looking at some of those videos, the PLA would still carry out D-Day-style landings in this day and age? :confused:

[Daniel]

Yeah, to invade Taiwan. The Chinese have entire army groups who's primary mission is thought to be the future invasion of Taiwan.

[Hongjian]

Looking at some of those videos, the PLA would still carry out D-Day-style landings in this day and age? :confused:

Well, D-Day styled amphibious assaults are still trained by the PLA Marine Corps and selected Amph. Mech. Inf. Divisions., but not likely for a Taiwan scenario, but more for the fortified islets along the Fujian coast that are belonging to the Republic of China, but unlikely to be supported or guarded too heavily.
Also the reefs and islands in the South China Sea would be more likely targets too, instead of 'Taiwan Proper'.

For a real Taiwan invasion, airsuperiority and supremacy would be established first by the airforce and short range ballistic missiles (shutting down the RoC airfields), and then the 15th Airborne Corps would be dropped in before any larger sized amph. invasion would land on the beaches.

All in all, the D-Day representation here - a landing with heavy opposition - isnt that representative of a real invasion plan of Taiwan, that would involve more air-to-air/air-to-ground combat and the heavy usage of SRBM/LACM and sepcial forces.
The landing in reality would be just a relatively "peaceful" and unresisted deployment of occupation forces, long after the RoC army is defeated...

Anyway. It's just a game here. So I wouldnt overanalyse it in terms of operation-level matters. :rolleyes:

[wipman]

Hi, for a FPS game it looks good. Let's C ya

[Heatseeker]

I just love the way the soldiers sit straight and look very serious, if you look carefully the one with the short hair typed: "1 pwnz 411 u nubz".
edit: I wonder if thats running on linux?

[Dysta]

Invasion or Liberation, you pick it.

Unless all I care is the technical data of these PLA armaments and vehicles, and able to simulate seamlessly by totally physics and rendering only.

I don't want an action at all, I want truths.

[Mr. Charles]

Seems like a nice game.

[NodUnit]

lol thats PLA version of MW2 - that engine and animations are from MW2 game heh

Beijing obliterated?

[Muahaha]

Next time we'll see all PLA troops will bunny hop and shoot at the same time... True probably some kid modded this game and replaces all US soldiers with PLA troops. Maybe BIS should think of selling their VBS to taiwan now.... good arms race eh?

and off topic, anyone noticed that PLA actually uses HP machines rather than China's own Lenovo ?? Interesting...

[Dysta]

TO ALL THE COMMENTERS WHO SAID THIS GAME ENGINE IS FROM COD, the last info has known that it was made with Unreal Engine 3, which is used by GoW, CoD3, Rainbow 6 Vegas and other underrated FPS shooter such as UT3. No Frostbite, no Quake4.

[Hongjian]

Yes, it's Unreal Engine 3.

PLA and Wuxi Giant confirmed that they licenced a 'famous foreign engine' for this game. So, of course this looks like CoD etc.

[Max Power]

It looks quite atmospheric however I fear the video must not represent actual training practices unless the PLA are trained to get shot a number of times. It seems like they ought to tone down the survivability of the player.

[RangerPL]

It looks quite atmospheric however I fear the video must not represent actual training practices unless the PLA are trained to get shot a number of times. It seems like they ought to tone down the survivability of the player.
Their body armor has excerpts from the Little Red Book on it, therefore making it indestructible.

[hungrytoheal]

My god that gameplay looks terrible.

[Hongjian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebiiH5sUeSM

First Promo released.

[Muahaha]

Very arcade-ish. i doubt the real battlefield is not that dramatic.

[Hongjian]

It looks moddable though, with an solid AI that seems to take note of obstacles and cover (last few minutes)...

[irishrocky]

i completely support this game 100%, i hate the pro america crap fed to us 24/7


i welcome the chinese democracy with open arms ! :cool:

[Zipper5]

"Chinese democracy." Right. (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/06/27/china.dissident.hu/index.html)

[Max Power]

i completely support this game 100%, i hate the pro america crap fed to us 24/7


i welcome the chinese democracy with open arms ! :cool:

One would think that the sensible standpoint would be to reject propaganda as a whole, not substitute one pack of lies for another.

[ProfTournesol]

chinese democracy

Oxymoron.

[Dysta]

"Chinese democracy." Right. (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/06/27/china.dissident.hu/index.html)

He deserved it. :j:

[Zipper5]

Sure, no one should be allowed to question their government.

Pretty soon you'll end up with a few of these in China:
http://www.philipcoppens.com/vendetta_07.jpg

[Celery]

Anonymous? China is fuxored. :butbut:

[Zipper5]

Anonymous is the first thing that pops into your head when you see V? :D

Well, mission accomplished for them I guess.

[Abs]

I always thought that was Zorro.

Abs

[Innomadic]

I think they'd be taken a little more seriously if it weren't called "Glorious Mission"

[froggyluv]

I think they'd be taken a little more seriously if it weren't called "Glorious Mission"

.....:icon_lol:.......

[Zipper5]

I always thought that was Zorro.

Abs
8TLD3Z6sJWA

[Muahaha]

funny how the first statement for the game was "loyalty to the party" then follow by "patriotic to the country"... party over country i guess...

[Abs]

funny how the first statement for the game was "loyalty to the party" then follow by "patriotic to the country"... party over country i guess...

It's like that everywhere. Why do you think the Republicans are playing chicken with the federal budget?

Abs

[Muahaha]

sad truth indeed.

[Dysta]

Pretty soon you'll end up with a few of these in China:
http://www.philipcoppens.com/vendetta_07.jpg

Pretty much actually, because some places in China is now selling high-realistic facemasks, user can appearancely "become another one" more than "to be anonymous".

Oops, sorry of the off-topic stuff. I don't worry myself to be silenced, seriously. Reading the law of PRC is always a good idea.

[CameronMcDonald]

I wonder if Chinese infantry really run around with those awesome red stars on their helmets. Bless their cotton socks.

[Tonci87]

I wonder if Chinese infantry really run around with those awesome red stars on their helmets.
I call it a target indicator

[maturin]

funny how the first statement for the game was "loyalty to the party" then follow by "patriotic to the country"... party over country i guess...

You know China is a one party state, right? The party essentially created the state, and ideologically speaking, the state was a nightmare before the advent of the party.

[Hongjian]

China was always only two things. Nightmarish Somalia-styled anarchy and civil war, or nightmarish police state that furthers the power and wealth of the nation.

Lesser evil wins.


Doesent matter, since it is off-topic.

News indicates that the public release is still unknown, since the PLA is reluctant in releasing quite some few 'classified information' with the game.
The training missions in the final version are suppossed to contain some sensitive things. Maybe they will drop them for the commercial release.

[Muahaha]

You know China is a one party state, right? The party essentially created the state, and ideologically speaking, the state was a nightmare before the advent of the party.

Well it was actually 2 parties, until 1 decided to kick the other to a small island called Taiwan. :rolleyes:

[Dysta]

Well it was actually 2 parties, until 1 decided to kick the other to a small island called Taiwan. :rolleyes:

And we got 5 more parties in Hong Kong, excluding 2 of these you've mentioned.

[Innomadic]

*is forcing self not to post the all too obvious picture about a party*

[Dysta]

*is forcing self not to post the all too obvious picture about a party*

Parties.

To learn all the relations side-by-side is much better than learn for your own.

[Innomadic]

Parties.

To learn all the relations side-by-side is much better than learn for your own.

Yeah i think that went way over your head.

[Celery]

Here's a visual clue:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iVuc95ewGvk/TKLBC7iDjQI/AAAAAAAAKpg/6U_cpmcqhf4/s1600/commie-party.gif

[Dysta]

Here's a visual clue:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iVuc95ewGvk/TKLBC7iDjQI/AAAAAAAAKpg/6U_cpmcqhf4/s1600/commie-party.gif

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs27/f/2008/039/5/5/Commercialism_by_putingpangil.jpg

it's not because we're too innocent to notice it, but the truth, we're just too dumb or coward to admit it to ourselves, we're already consumed

I know there's a lot of people like we all aren't entirely understand what exactly the party/gang/clan/organization was for in the country, but once we're in such state, I am pretty sure we're getting used all the times. Everything are matters of money, so are we.

(Sorry of the mega-off-topic. I am just tell them not to be "innocent" out there.)

[GossamerSolid]

I'd rather be a staunch capitalist than a staunch communist.

At least I have to freedom to waste my money on whatever crappy product from whatever crappy company I want :D

[Dysta]

I'd rather be a staunch capitalist than a staunch communist.

At least I have to freedom to waste my money on whatever crappy product from whatever crappy company I want :D

Wasn't the bigger freedom is to get what they exactly wants without payment at all?

[Celery]

This capitalism/communism bullshit is so tiresome.

[Dysta]

This capitalism/communism bullshit is so tiresome.

I see.

Pity that 10 years from 2001 (Halo, Call of Duty 2) that have to keep that system of FPS until now for common gamers, even for the rising nations. I hate to admit, but again, if it can burst moneys, that's all the company matters.

[Baff1]

I'd rather be a staunch capitalist than a staunch communist.

At least I have to freedom to waste my money on whatever crappy product from whatever crappy company I want :D

But you could have had them all for free under communism.

[Celery]

This thread is about a Chinese FPS.

[Baff1]

I wonder if Chinese infantry really run around with those awesome red stars on their helmets. Bless their cotton socks.
I wouldn't bet that they have cotton socks. I think the Russian army have only just started to get them. They probably wrap hankies around their feet.

[Hongjian]

I wouldn't bet that they have cotton socks. I think the Russian army have only just started to get them. They probably wrap hankies around their feet.

The PLA enjoyed a steep increase in buget lately. They are already pretty much on par with contemporary foeign forces in terms of equippment...

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2011/06/plamc-testing-new-vbss-body-armor-vest.html

and even during the 90's, when the buget wasnt all that high, they had at least cotton socks... yes. :j:

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2011/05/photo-album-day-in-life-of-pla-enlist.html

[Baff1]

Intresting.
Eastern European Armies got them in the 21st century.

[maturin]

Intresting.
Eastern European Armies got them in the 21st century.

The PLA is a rather more important force in politics than the uniformed lackeys of an imperial power. And the PLA actually fought wars.

[Baff1]

Do what please?

[Tonci87]

The PLA is a rather more important force in politics than the uniformed lackeys of an imperial power. And the PLA actually fought wars.

What? :confused: